Legalization

The American Immigration Law Foundation (AILF) is pleased to present the 2007 edition of "Appreciating America's Heritage" Teacher Resource Guide. First and foremost, this latest edition continues to keep the needs of classroom teachers in mind provides new and innovative lesson plans which can be implemented in any classroom, and book reviews for literature-based lessons or to support research. All materials included in these pages have been created by fellow educators who either serve as members of our Teacher Advisory Board, or by educators that have beenawarded AILF classroom grants.

This Practice Advisory, written in collaboration with the National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guildand updated after a federal judge in the Southern District of Texas temporarily blocked the implementation of the DAPA and Expanded DACA initiatives, offers strategies to prevent the removal of individuals who are not enforcement priorities, including those who are eligible for DAPA or Expanded DACA.

Mary Giovagnoli, director of Immigration Policy Center, says Tuesday’s vote could indicate Republicans would be unwilling to support the DREAM Act in the future. “It’s pretty clear that it was a party line vote,” she said. “Consequently, unless some Republicans are brave enough to step over the line, it’s going to remain gridlocked.”

In June 2007, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) refused to accept tens of thousands of employment-based applications for adjustment of status (and discouraged thousands of other workers from even applying) in violation of federal statutes, regulations and policies. Although the LAC was poised to file a class action on July 17, 2007 to challenge these unlawful actions, this became unnecessary after USCIS and the Department of State reversed course and resolved the issues. Read the prepared complaint.

The benefits of E-Verify are not clear cut. According to the Immigration Policy Center,

Expanding mandatory E-Verify as part of the stimulus package would threaten the jobs of thousands of U.S. citizens, decrease productivity, saddle U.S. businesses with additional costs, and hinder the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) ability to provide benefits to needy and deserving Americans – all at a time when we need to stimulate our economy. The fact is: expanding E-Verify now would decelerate the Stimulus Package and slow America’s economic recovery.

This issue covers a recent FOIA lawsuit seeking information about stipulated removal; a Seventh Circuit case holding that the waiver of a right to a removal hearing under the Visa Waiver Program must be knowing and voluntary; a Ninth Circuit decision finding that DHS may not unilaterally block a motion to reopen to adjust status by opposing the motion; and the Supreme Court's decision to grant certiorari to examine the standard for granting stays of removal at the courts of appeals.